A crazy contradiction right?! How on earth is it possible to ‘be still’ and yet, continue ‘moving forward’?

If you are in a place where you sense that God is asking you to ‘be still’, then I pray you will be encouraged, as you discover great movement in the stillness.

Growth Unseen

Fallow ground is a piece of land that has been ploughed and harrowed but left for a time without being sown. This period of rest is a necessity to restore fertility to tired, worn-out and overused land and is even quoted in the bible, (Lev 25:4) as an instruction to the Israelites.

Leaving the land fallow is the very last resort for modern day farmers as they aim to produce the very maximum they possibly can from the land. The same can also be true for you and I and rest often becomes the last resort, as we strive to keep up with the busyness of every day life. Its possible to keep going for so long until finally, we end up tired, infertile, exhausted and burnt out.

At first glance, fallow land appears to be dried up, weed ridden and wasted; however, incredible activity is taking place underneath the ground. Lost vitamins and minerals, vital to plant growth, are being restored to the soil during this period of rest.

To ‘be still’ may seem like there’s not much happening on the surface but on the inside, God is restoring and revitalising you, ready to receive a huge harvest.

When too much is just TOO much

Ever heard of the saying, ‘Too much of a good thing’?

This makes sense when it comes to overused ground. There are times when surplus production needs to be avoided, especially when it is fruitless.

It is possible for the potentially ‘good’ things in our lives to be completely unfruitful. God wants to prune us and cut away everything in our lives that does not bear fruit. This can feel as though there are hardly any branches left and we are caused to ‘be still’. Be encouraged though because God is pruning you in order for you to bear more fruit.

I am and I will

The word ‘still’, found in this portion of scripture (Psalm 46:10) is a translation of the Hebrew word ‘rapa’. This word can be translated as ‘ceasing’ or ‘letting go’. Its in the midst of a battle, that the very best thing you can do is to stop your frantic activity, drop your weapons and ‘be still’.

Exodus 14:14 The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.

You are an overcomer in the Lord and He will fight on your behalf. God will bring you through the trials or difficulties you are facing, you only need ‘be still’. Drop your carnal weapons and allow God to intervene. Let the world see how God has brought you through the impossible. All the glory belongs to the Lord and He will be exalted through the victory He has given you.

We stand, He moves

When God asks us to ‘be still’, we do so in His presence. In God’s presence there is fullness of joy (Psalm 16:11), even in times of great sadness and sorrow. In His presence we find peace that passes all understanding, (Phil 4:7) even when we are amidst great chaos and calamity.

God doesn’t abandon us when He fights on our behalf, He stays with us and goes before us. (Deut 31:8) Our patience is being perfected as we wait for God’s perfect timing. Our trust in God growing as we learn more and more to ‘be still’ and know that He alone is God.

To be still but remain in His presence is to continue moving forward. When we stand, He moves.

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Published by Hayley Boden

Hi my name is Hayley Boden and I am a follower of Jesus.
I am married to Jon & have two daughters, age 14 & 11.
I am a worship leader and author of the book ‘Worship in Spirit and in Truth’ and I am passionate about teaching the power of worship to the local church.
I share my thoughts on all things relating to Christianity & I write to encourage, inspire & motivate.
View all posts by Hayley Boden

G’day, first time to your blog. Awesome timing I tell ya! Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this stuff. I am in the middle of learning to be still and while I know its needed I will be honest, its more comfy to be on the move. But like your title says “be still and move forward”. Love it

So I am the opposite, lol. I have always kept going until there is nothing left. Then I rest, I’ll try and remember this when I find myself at a pause and take the time to rest and ‘be still’ thank you 😀

Wow! I am just getting caught up on my email and read yoir blog. I love how God works. I have been studying how to be still. I love when God speaks to all of us about the same things and reaches us in different ways.

I tried to link them to your site, but for some reason, I couldn’t get the link to work. But congratulations! You deserve it 😊 and there’s no pressure- if you don’t want to participate, you don’t have to 🙂

Thank you so much, Robyn. I feel privileged that you have thought about me. I’m super busy with work at the moment so I don’t think I’ll get chance to respond but will definitely try & make time!
Thanks again, Hayley 😊💕

Hayley, I don’t know how I missed this, but I sure missed out… till now!
What a blessing! It makes me think of the hymn Take Time to Be Holy…
Stanza 2:
Take Time to be Holy The world rushes on.
Spend much time in secret with Jesus alone.
By looking to Jesus, like Him that shalt be.
Thy friends in they conduct, His likeness shall see.
Stanza 3:
Take Time to be Holy, let Him be thy guide.
And run not before Him whate’er betide.
In joy or in sorrow, still follow the Lord.
And looking to Jesus still trust in His word.
really the whole song! ❤ love the post! God loves you!

Bless you Gail, I’ve been very quiet just lately on WordPress as I’ve been doing just this! The Lord has been doing a mighty work in me and given me so much revelation and insight that I’m looking forward to sharing in the next few weeks. Lots of love xxxx

Well said! I struggle so often to break out of the productivity mindset. It’s so easy to do, do, do, and yet Jesus Himself stepped away from doing to be quiet in the presence of God. Ironically, it seems the quiet places yield more growth than all the efforts we attempt. Thanks for the reminder, and blessings as you continue to rest in His presence.